Continuing education / Requirements / Florida
Florida LCSW continuing education requirements
Florida LCSWs generally need 30 hours of continuing education every two years. Include 2 hours of medical errors and 3 hours of ethics and boundaries or telehealth, with those two 3-hour subjects taken in alternating renewal periods. The current standard cycle runs from April 1, 2025, through March 31, 2027.
Laws and rules, domestic violence, and qualified-supervisor refresher training have separate every-third-renewal schedules. Those hours fit within the 30-hour total when due. First-time license renewals are exempt from CE, so check both your renewal number and your CE Broker record before choosing courses.
What the board requires
Mandated topics
Use a course from a board-approved medical-errors provider. These 2 hours are included in the 30-hour total. Check the course’s specific medical-errors approval in CE Broker; general national CE approval alone does not establish it.
Take 3 hours in the renewal period assigned to ethics and boundaries, then 3 hours of telehealth in the next period. The board requires alternation, not both 3-hour subjects every renewal. Check your renewal history and CE Broker requirements.
Our course for this: Ethics and Professional Boundaries (3 hours). CE credit approvals in progress.
Take 3 hours in the renewal period alternating with ethics and boundaries. The required 3 hours are within the 30-hour total. This is a license-renewal topic, not only a requirement for clinicians currently offering telehealth.
Our course for this: Telehealth Law and Ethics (3 hours). CE credit approvals in progress.
Included in the 25 general hours when due. Take the renewal laws-and-rules course meeting the board’s Florida-specific content requirements. Determine your own every-third-biennium schedule from your renewal history.
Our course for this: Ethics and Professional Boundaries (3 hours). CE credit approvals in progress.
Included in the 25 general hours when due. Complete a course meeting the board’s domestic-violence requirements. This is not a 2-hour requirement for every renewal.
Applies only to qualified supervisors. Complete the board-required 4-hour supervisor refresher course every third biennium; it counts within the 25 general hours. Initial qualification as a supervisor is a separate requirement.
Our course for this: Supervisor Ethics and Effective Supervision (6 hours). CE credit approvals in progress.
Format and self-study limits
The board places no numerical limit on home-study hours for license renewal. All 30 hours may be completed through qualifying online or home-study courses; there is no general live-attendance minimum for the renewal total. Course approval and topic requirements still apply, including the specific approval needed for medical errors. Initial supervisor qualification is separate from the recurring 4-hour refresher.
Which providers count
Choose a board-approved provider or an accepted provider under the board’s recognition rules. The board lists organizations including NBCC, APA, NASW, ASWB, ACA, AMHCA and AAMFT among its recognized provider routes. Confirm that the course is accepted for your Florida license and the category you need. Medical-errors courses require the board’s specific medical-errors approval; an organization’s general CE recognition is not enough.
Reporting and audits
Florida’s Department of Health checks your CE record in CE Broker during renewal. Review the transcript before renewing, confirm provider-reported completions, and report eligible missing courses through the appropriate process. Keep your certificates and supporting records. CE Broker records the education; submit the license renewal separately through the MQA Online Services Portal.
First renewal
The board exempts practitioners initially licensed and renewing their LCSW license for the first time from continuing education. Its first-renewal exemption covers the CE requirement, rather than requiring the ordinary 30-hour package. Separate initial-licensure training and other renewal obligations are not converted into CE exemptions. Confirm that your record identifies this as your first license renewal.
Common questions
How many CE hours does a Florida LCSW need?
After the exempt first renewal, complete 30 hours every two years. The usual breakdown is 25 general hours, 2 medical-errors hours, and 3 hours of either ethics and boundaries or telehealth. Additional periodic topics fit within the general hours when due.
Do I need ethics and telehealth in the same renewal?
The requirement alternates: take 3 hours of ethics and boundaries in one biennium and 3 hours of telehealth in the next. Check your history and CE Broker to identify the subject due for your particular renewal.
Can I complete all Florida CE online?
Yes. The board does not cap home-study hours for these licenses. Choose qualifying courses and check the specific subject approval, especially for the 2-hour medical-errors requirement.
When is the next Florida renewal deadline?
For the current standard cycle, renew by midnight Eastern Time on March 31, 2027. The biennium began on April 1, 2025. Complete and report required CE before renewal.
How often do I need laws and rules or domestic violence?
Complete 3 hours of Florida laws and rules and 2 hours of domestic violence every third biennium. They count within the 25 general hours when due. Qualified supervisors also have a 4-hour refresher every third biennium.
Do I need CE for my first Florida LCSW renewal?
No. The board’s first-biennium renewal rule exempts initially licensed practitioners renewing for the first time from CE. Verify your first-renewal status rather than purchasing the standard 30-hour package automatically.
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Not legal advice. This guide summarizes board rules for convenience. Your board's current published rules control.
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